1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a metal bat for playing softball or baseball. The bat has a two-part barrel structure for localizing the hitting area and for isolating the hitting area from the handle so that the bat is capable of flexing symmetrically between the end cap of the barrel and a thickness transition area where the barrel meets the handle taper.
2. Background Art
Metal bats are now common in the sports worlds for playing softball and baseball. Conventional metal bats typically are manufactured from a hollow metal shell that runs continuously between the handle at which the bat is gripped to the barrel at which the ball is hit. Because of this conventional one-piece bat construction, there is no way to localize the hitting area of the bat so as to isolate the hitting area from other regions (i.e. the handle) of the bat. What is more, there is no region at which the conventional metal bat may easily flex in response to its impact with a ball, such that the bat remains relatively stiff during the batter""s swing and subsequent contact with the ball.
As a consequence of the foregoing, conventional metal bats are typically inefficient and require the batter to exert a relatively large swinging force to drive the ball. In addition, such conventional metal bats do not readily dissipate the impact forces created during contact with a ball and, therefore, are undesirably susceptible to damage (e.g. dents).
Therefore, what is needed a metal bat having an improved barrel structure that is adapted to flex symmetrically along the impact area so as to more efficiently transfer the impact forces that are generated when the bat strikes a ball in order to drive the ball a relatively long distance with respect to the force exerted during the batter""s swing.
Examples of metal bats having a two-part barrel structure are available by referring to the following United States patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,398 May 16, 1995
U.S. Pat. No. 5,899,823 May 4, 1999
A hollow metal bat is disclosed of the type commonly used for playing softball or baseball. The metal bat has a handle portion at which the bat is gripped, a barrel portion at which contact is made with a ball, and a tapered portion running between the handle and the barrel portions. The metal bat of this invention has an improved two-part barrel structure to provide a more efficient transfer of the impact forces that are generated when the bat hits the ball so as to drive the ball a relatively long distance with respect to the force generated during the batter""s swing. More particularly, the bat includes a metallic inner shell that runs continuously from the end knob of the handle portion to the end cap of the barrel portion. Surrounding the inner shell along the barrel portion is a metallic outer sleeve. The inner shell is swaged to fit inside the outer shell so that the inner shell and outer sleeve are held in face-to-face engagement, one above the other, along the entire length of the barrel portion. The outer sleeve of the barrel portion terminates at a thickness transition area of the inner shell that is located at the tapered portion where the barrel portion meets the handle portion. The thickness transition area of the inner shell is formed by swaging the handle and tapered portions to increase the wall thickness at the handle side of the inner shell by approximately ten percent. The bat is completed by a weight that fills the end of the barrel portion adjacent the end cap so as to dampen vibrations and control the resonance of sound waves that travel longitudinally along the bat. The end cap has an inwardly projecting flange that functions to support one end of the two-part barrel structure, and the thickness transition area functions to support the opposite end of the two part barrel structure.
By virtue of the two-part barrel construction herein described, the hitting area of the bat is confined to the barrel. The addition of the outer sleeve over the inner shell allows the hitting area of the barrel to be isolated from other areas of the bat. Moreover, the opposing supports established by the flange of the end cap and the thickness transition area at the tapered portion enable the barrel to flex symmetrically in response to the barrel making contact with a ball so that the bat is capable of driving the ball a longer distance with less force generated during the batter""s swing while preventing the formation of dents.